Multidimensional Perfectionism
A Response to Bland & Hoard (2026)
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19230871 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ching-Yuan Lin (0000-0003-2629-1232, Fuller Theological Seminary), Kenneth T Wang (0000-0002-7720-2431, Fuller Theological Seminary, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 54 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 189-195 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Psychology and Theology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0091-6471 • E-ISSN: 2328-1162 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/00916471261434166 |
| OpenAlex | W7141716255 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 12 |
This article is a response to Bland and Hoard’s article, “ The Christian Filter: Lacan and being a ‘ Good Enough ’ Christian .” Rather than critiquing, we further engage with the concept of perfectionism through an empirical lens, examining its valence, directionality, and sociocultural domains in which ideals are constructed. Drawing from the multidimensional perfectionism literature, we highlight how perfectionism is not merely an intrapsychic phenomenon but also socially prescribed and culturally embedded. Placing Bland and Hoard’s Lacanian framing in dialogue with empirical models of perfectionism, we offer additional language for understanding Lucas’s oscillation between religious zeal and self-condemnation, as well as the interpersonal and symbolic forces that sustain the “Christian filter.” Ultimately, we suggest that clinical integration is enriched when psychological research and psychoanalytic-theological reflection are held together, allowing clinicians to see perfectionism as both a source of suffering and a space of grace where desire, lack, and faith may be reimagined
Empirical research · Faith · Framing (construction) · Interpersonal communication · Narrative · Perfectionism (psychology) · Phenomenon · Sociocultural evolution · Perfectionism, Procrastination, Anxiety Studies · Personality Disorders and Psychopathology · Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
Religious obsessions and compulsions in a non-clinical sample
Positive Conceptions of Perfectionism
The Religious Perfectionism Scale
Religious Perfectionism Scale Among Believers of Multiple Faiths in China
Perceived Perfectionism from God Scale
Perfect believer concepts and well-being among Buddhists, Christians, and Muslims in China
Examining legalism, scrupulosity, family perfectionism, and psychological adjustment among LDS individuals
The Christian Filter
The Family Almost Perfect Scale
The Revised Almost Perfect Scale
Perfectionism in the self and social contexts
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |